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` A. C. HITCHCOCK.

FIRE ESCAPE.V No. 276,969. Patented Ma 1,1883.

INVENTOR WITNESSS: J

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UNITED STAT-ES 'PATENT OFFICE.- l

ARTHUR C. HITCHCOCK, oE DECoRAH, IOWA, AssIeNoR oE oNE-HALETC FRANK E. BAKER, E sAME PLACEH 4 i Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. '276,969,0iated May 1, Issa. Application filed February 16, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

H Beit known that I, ARTHUR C. HITCHCOCK, of Decorah, inthe county of Winneshiek and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-FireEscapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which `it appertains to make and use the same, refer- `ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of `this specification, and in Figure 1 is a front view of a window and part of the wallot' a house provided with my improved fire-escape. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec tion through the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail view. i

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to reescapes; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of an escape, consisting of a iiexible ladder adapted to be wound upon a shaftin a box, and havingvmeans for winding it up and braking itin its descent, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates a box adapted to befastened upon the wall ofahouse above the window, and

yH 3o having a shaft, B, journaled in bearingsin its end pieces. This shaft is provided at one end,

outside the end piecejof the box, with a crank,

-This ladder consistsof two strips, `J, of lexii ble material-leatheror jexible metallic ,Webt hing-connected by rounds K, preferablyof steel, riveted or otherwisefastened tothe strips,

and may be wound upon the shaft when not used, the whole contained inside the box. The under side of the box is slottedlongitudinally, and provided with two anti-friction rollers, L, of the same length as the width of the ladder, which serve to allowthe ladder to pass out of the box without resistance. 5o`

A cord, M, is fastened to the outer free end of the brake-lever, and passes out of thebox, down alongside of the ladder, so that the first person descending may descend with the ladf der, standing upon one of the rounds, and govern his speed by means of the said Cord actuating the brake. l

The box may be made,as shown in thedrawings, with the outside and bottom in lone piece, and curved, and may extend the full width 0f 6o the Window, `forming an ornamental cornice.

By constructing the escape'in sucha manner that the speed of the descent of the ladder may be governed by the brake having its cord extending the full length of the ladder, it will `be seen that it may be used immediately as.

thrown outside the window, the rst person descending with it, whereupon it may be -used in the usual manner by persons following. i

`Having thus described myinvention,Iclaim 7o and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- As an improvement in lire-escapes, the combination and arrangement, as described, of the box A, slotted longitudinally in.v the bottom, rollers L, shaft B, wheel D, crank C, brake F, cord M, and iiexible ladderI, all constructed to operate as and for the purpose shown and set forth. i H

In testimony that I claim the foregoing;` as 8o my own I have hereunto affixed my signature H in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. HITCHCOCK. Witnesses:

i CHAs. P. BROWN,

E. R. BAKER. 

